Frank shuman



F. SHUIVIAN Y. 1A sHUMAN AND c. H. ouNKEH, ADMINISTRATORS. SUBIVIARINE AN IVIEIHOD 0F OPERATING THE-SAME APPLICATION FILED H5125,

Patented J uIy I5, 1919.

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FRANK SI-IUlVIAN, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; Y. JOSEPI-IINE SHUMAN AND CHARLES H. DUNKER, ADMINISTRATORS OF SAID FRANK SHUMAN, DECEASED.

SUBIVIARINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME.

Lainate,

l To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SHUMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania., have invented an 'Im- A provement in Submarines andv Methods of 'Operating the Same, of Which the following 1s a specification.

Heretofore in submarine practice, it has been customary to employ both explosive en gines and electric motors `as the propelling means, the former for use at the surface and the latter when submerged. Storage battei-ies as the source of energy for the electric motors, aside from their great weight, involve liability of accident and loss of life by sufocation or explosion due to the generation of gases. Aside from this, the storage batteries occupy a great'deal of space Which Would be better utilized if suitable means other than electric motors couldvbe employed for propulsion while submerged.

It is the object of my a. motive power which is both suited for opmanner that themotive eration of submarines at the surface as well as When submerged, and which shall eliminate the employment of storage batteries and electric motors, and in the most preferred form of my improvements, I may employ at one time Iboth an expansion engine and an internal combustion engine, and in such gases operating the expansion engine may then be employed in the explosive engine and the products so produced may be liberated from the vessel in a manner in Which no Wake due to bubbles may be formed at the time the vessel is p ruiming submerged. By my. improvements,

all storage batteries, auxiliary electric motors for propulsion, and the carrying of extra reservoirs of compressed air for discharging the torpedoes, are eliminated.

By my improvements, I arrange the submarine with provision for quantities of liquefied oxygen or liquid air (preferably the former), and which is capable of being employedfirst by vaporization, then utilization as a motive means both in the expansion engine and in the explosive engine, as Well as for discharging torpedoes,

supplying freshoxygen to the impure atmosphere which mayexist in the submarine, and for operating any of the auxiliary motorsJ for Whatever requirement may be neces- Sary. By the employment lof liquefied oxy- Specification of Letters Pateiit. Application inea February 25, i916. seriai No. 80,477.

invention to 4provide carrying large .Patented uly l5, 1919 gen or liquid air, a period of submergence would be greatly increased over What is at present possible, thus giving time for repairs and otherwiserproviding available motive power, which could not bedone or maintained under conditionsv heretofore existing. Even should repairs be impossible, the fact that the time of submergence maybe maintained as long as several months, enormously increases the opportunity of rescue of the occupants of the submarine. Furthermore, the interior of the submarine may be kept comfortably: cool and the, atmosphere normal, thus promoting the general welfare of the crew. The simplicity of the machinery employed over that heretofore in use Will also render maneuvering much easier of accomplishment.

When explosive engines are relied upon as the means of propulsion at a time when the submarine is submerged, the met-hod heretofore of supplying air from compressed air in tanks, has caused the escaping of the exhaust products from the engine to form a very pronounced Wake by the rising 'bubbles,'the presence of Which enables the submarine to be tracked by fast moving destroyers or motor boats; but when pure oxygen is substituted for the compressed air the production of the aforesaid Wake isavoided. lVhen air is burned with the hydrocarbon in an explosive engine, the products are essentially carbonio acid, nitrogen and Watei', andof these the nitrogen cannot 'be readily dissolved in the sea Water, and is in' such quantity that itsproduces a very decidedvvake; on the other hand, when oxygen is employed as a substitute for the air` the presence of nitrogen is avoided and consequently the objectionable WakeV is avoided.

Furthermore, by use of my improvements, Whatever the source 0f oxygen may be, (I employ the oxygen whether pure or in the composition of air), it is in liquefied form, either in liquefied oxygen or liquefied air, and in which form it may be readily carried in ordinary vessels of suitable construction Which Would not be subjected to enormous Vpressures such as results in the employment of compressed air or compressed oxygen unliqueed; and moreover by employing liquefied sources of oxygen it is manifest that a very large quantity of oxygen (in the form in which it would be used in the engine) may give very efiicient returns in be stored in a comparatively small space, and .hence provide capacity for wide range of submarlne cruising, or as before stated, a`

long period of submergence in case of accident.

With the above and other objects in View, the nature of which will be more fully understood from the description hereinafter,

the invention consists in the novel construction of submarme and method of operating the same as hereinafter more fully descrlbed and defined in the claims. l

In Figure l of the drawing, I have shown diagrammatically the more essential elements yof the iapparatus which would enter into the commercial use of my invention as applied to a submarine. j

Fig. 2 isa side elevationof the submarine. Assuming. that the submarine would be equipped with the usual essentials to a vessel of that character other than thus specifically required by my invention, I will now refer to the diagram in respect to the particular features therein illustrated.`

Asliquefied oxygen, or liquefied air, when turned' into gas under high pressure, will ower, this j power obtained without any ad itional exa pense, is first utilized by my improved method in operating the engineM by expanL sion and subsequently in voperation of the explosive engine The liquefied oxygen, or liquefied air, is pumped from the container A through pipe B 'by means of a feed pump C, and is forced through three successive coils D, F and J and pipes H and L, to expansion engine M. In coil D- the liquefied oxygen is turned into gaseous oxygen, under a very high pressure,

by means of the heat contained in the large quantities of ordinary sea water, running through pipe E' around coil D. This means that all of the latent heat, which was taken out of the oxygen, or liquefied air, while being liquefied, is put back into it again by the sea water rushing around the coil B. This addition of heat furnishes the main power haust gases from the gasolene or oil engine.

This further superheats (relatively considered) the gaseous oxygen or the air, if employed, to a high point, and it then passes, while under pressure, into the expansion engine M, where whatever'powerthere is in it will be utilized by expanding it to a pressure f y equal tol that which is necessary to force it into the gasolene or oil engine.' The pressure of the gaseousoxygen a's it is fed to, the l` engine may be 3000 pounds per square inch, or any other pressure found most available and efficient.

Before passing into the gasolene or oil erigine, the oxygen goes'into the mixing tank P Where by means of any practical 'mixing'de- 75 vice, it is mixed with a sufiicient quantity 'of the hot exhaust gases from the gasolene, orv oil engine, todilute it to such a point that it ywill 'be sufiiciently toned down to provide normal explosions and cause no danger in or to the engine. u The portion ofthe exhaust gaseslfrom the gasolene', or oil engine, which is necessary to' effect this result, is drawn through thepipe Y by the meter pump Z and forced through the pipe ainto the mixing tank P.

The gasolene or oil from tank T is drawnV through .the pipe U, and by means of the gasolene feed pump V, delivered through the pipe into the carbureter S, and thence,

ucts of combustion, fromthe mixer P, is supplied to the explosive engine X. The car-' bureter may be of any suitable construction so long as it produces a suitable mixture of the hydrocarbon with the oxygen or other gaseous materials to be supplied to Jthe engine to support combustion or reduce its violence. In case oil is employed in place of gasolene, it would be vaporized before being delivered to the carbureter, as is customary' in explosive (oil) engines. Y

Should liquefied air be used instead of liquefied oxygen, for those. purposes where the. visible wake will not be an objection, then the waste gases from the engines may be .exhausted into thesurrounding water, through any ordinary pipe supplied with a check valve to i preventv inflow of water.

Should, however, an invisible wake be .de- 1104 sired, then liquefied oxygen must be used, and the water products or exhaust gases will. be forced out into the surrounding water` through a hood f which `is provided with a large number of small perforations, so that the carbonio acid may be finely .sub-divided,

, whereby it will be more or less absorbed by the sea water, which absorption will be aided by the propeller1 throwing thewater backward, and stirring up the exhaust gases 12o with large volumes of water. i

.In the diagram drawing, the actual posi tions of the various elements involved are not definitely shown, but said diagramis intended simply for the purpose of showing the cycle ofthe steps in the method and the apparatus elements required with reasonable' clearness. Ihe practical submarine conf structor will put each element of the appav. ratus wherever he considers it should be lo.- L30 .90 with the oxygen supplemented by the prodcated to accomplish its function properly; and it is not intended in this description to show dimensions, pressures, or any one of the numerous details which may enter in to various parts of the apparatus which may enter into the complete equipment of a submarine vessel as these are matters of commercial engineering rather than of invention so far as the.present-improvements are concerned.

If small cruising radius and quick action are only required rather than economy, then several of the steps shown can be eliminated.

For instance, to go to extremes, the expansion engine and the three coils 1), F and J may be all cut out, and the liquefied oxygen forced, by pipe B, directly into the mixing chamber P, and there mixed with the proper amount of hot exhaust gases. To accomplish this, a three-Way valve B2 may be employed. If the expansion engine M is not to be employed, it may be uncoupled by the coupler M.

The complete cycle, as shown, is that which is necessary tosecure the most economical running. Instead of going to the extreme of eliminating allthree of the coils, a less number of them might be used without affecting the actual Working of the cycle.

In the case of the employment of. lique fied air, the mixing chamber P can be omitted if the products of combustion are not to be mixed with it, because then there is simply the ordinary atmospheric air forced or delivered into the carbureter; and if the liquefied air is used-directlyin the carbureter in said manner, the meter pump y' Z. as Well as the mixing tank P, may be eliminated. A

It Will be understood that the general construction of the various elements of the apparatus hereinbefore referred to is secondary to my invention, and-may be greatly varied without departing therefrom, and I do not in any manner Wish to be restricted or limited in this respect, as any or all-of the parts may bef'changed or modified so long as they are adapted to the proper performance required by the nature of this invention. v

I have not described any method or means for liquefying oxygen 0r air, as liquefied air and liquefied oxygen are both available products in the commercialfi-eld at the present time, and any of the known processes therefor may be employed in providing these substances for use in connection with my invention. The expansi n engine may be of any` suitable construction of simple Y n form or compound type as desired, and hke- Wise the explosive engme may bevof any of the types heretofore constructed and which may be found best adapted to the particular use of submarine propulsion; and While Water is shown as ycooling medium for the jacket of the engine, it Will be understood that the vapor from the liquefied air or oxygen may be employed (in place of or in addition to the Water) as the cooling medium by simply forming the jacket, B2, as a part of the vapor conduit or pipe B B, and turning the three-Way valve B2, as Will be readily understood by anyone skilled in the art.

While gasolene engines, as at present constructd, might not be sufiiciently strong to stand the greater energy resulting from the employment of pure oxygen gas with hydrocarbon, and for Which reason I have indicated the dilution of the oxygen gas With a portion of the Waste products from the engine as a means of reducing the energy. of thevoxygenand giving a larger bulk of the explosive medium, nevertheless it is quite possible to construct specially designed explosive engines Which may be suitable for the employment of the oxygen in undiluted condition except so far as it may be considered as diluted by the hydrocarbon, and in this case the mixer may be omitted and the oxygen may go directly into the carbureter S, the latter being suitably constructed to adapt itself for the handling of this more energetic gas.

The three-Way valve B2 may be such that l the oxygen may be directed into the coil D as shown, or it may be directed into the pipe B, or it may be caused to flow into both of these parts merely by theA adjustment. If the oxygen is to be supplied solely through the jacket B3 of the explosive engine, and Without the use of the expansion engine M, the valve Z2 in pipe N may be shut off so that the oxygen gas will not escape backward intol the engine M When the expansion engine is being used and the oxygen is not being employed as a cooling means for the explosive engine, then the valve Z2 is open and the by-pass valve B2 is closed to the pipe B', but this may be supplemented by the use of an additional valve between the explosive engine and the mixing chamber` as at B4.

In the most desirable form of my invention, liquid oxygen is employed, more par 115 ticularly because a greater bulk of the neces? sary oxygen can be carried and because no appreciable Wake Will be formed. but co.n, sideringvthe invention generallyv I use the expressions, more particularly in the claims, 120 liquefied gas in which oxygen is present, and means for supplying oxygen in gaseous condition, as including any liquefied gas from which oxygen may be liberated, Whether the same be pure oxygen or not, 125 such as Would be the case by employment of liquefied air; but it is manifest that Whatever the source may-be, the oxygen should be capable of separating as` a gas whereby it may oxidize the hydrocarbon va- 130 pors from which the main motive to be derived.

It will also be understood that some control must be had of the escape of the liquelied oxygen or oxygen containing liquid,.so as to reasonably control the amount of oxygen gas to be supplied to the engines and obviate the tendency to produce too high a pressure, and this is best done by a measuring or meter fed pu1np,`as indicated at C. though it is manifest that the supply could be controlled or measured by the use of a valve, but this would require constant attention. By employing a meter pump', the stopping of the operation of the engines might also be so arranged as to stop the pump whereby the oxygen would only be 'fed for creating a motive power when the requirement for engine purposes would be necessary.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which power is embodies the features of advantage enu-l merated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof whichA l oxygen gas and exhaust products from the engine associated with the hydrocarbon to the engine, and means for .permitting the.

escape of the surplus of the exhaust products. i

2. The combination of an explosive engine, a carbureter for supplying a hydrocarbon thereto, a source of liquefied gas 'adapted to liberate oxygen, a mixer separate from the engine cylinders for receiving measured quantities of the oxygen gas, means for delivering a measured portion of the products of combustion from the engine to the mixer whereby it is mixed with the oxygen gas in the proper proportions, and means for delivering the mixed oxygen gas and products of combustion to the earbureter whereby they are mixed with the hydrocarbon and subsequently delivered to the engine.

3. The combination of an explosive en'- gine, a source of liquefied gas adapted to ,liberate oxygen, means to supply a hydrocarbon to the. explosive engine, means for supplying oxygen gas 1n measured quanti- `Lamass ing its pressure,'means for bringing the oxygen after having its temperature raised into association with the hydrocarbon before being exploded in the engine and means to thereafter admit the explosive mixture of oxygen, products of combustion and hydrocarbon to the engine wherein it is exploded.

5. The combination of an explosive engine, 'means for delivering a hydrocarbon' to the engine, a source ofliqueed gas adapted for giving off' oxygen, means for delivering oxygen in measured quantities tothe engine, means for raising the temperature of the oxygen and increasing its pressure,

means for deliverin measured quantities of the products of conn ustion from the engine to the'measured quantities of oxygen before being delivered to the engine, means for mixing oxygen and products of combustion before --being delivered to the engine, and means for bringing the oxygen into association with the hydrocarbon before being exploded in the engine.

6. The combination of an explosive engine, a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is present, means for supplying oxygen in gaseous condition to the explosive engine, means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen gas to provide an explosive mixture for operating the engine,.means for independently measuring the amount of oxygen and the amount of'hydrocarbon which are to'be simultaneously delivered to the engine,

and means for heating the oxygen before i t is delivered to the explosive engine, said means comprising a passage through whichmeans for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen gas to provide an explosive mixture for operating the` englne, and means for heating the oxygen before it is delivered to the explosiveI engine, said means consisting of a plurality of separate coils through which the oxygen gas passes in succession and by which it is gradually heated, the rstof said coils 'being cooled by water of normal -temperature,vthe second by the cooling water of the explosive engine and the third by the exhaust products from the exi' of liquefied plosive engine Whereb lof liquefied gas in which y the oxygen gas iS superheated.

I'8. The combinationv` of an explosive engine, a source of liquefied gas in Which oxygenis present, meansfor vsupplying oxygen in gaseous condition to the explosive engine, means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen gas to provide an explosive mixture for operating the engine, means for heating the oxygenbvefore it is delivered to the explosive engine,'said means consisting of a plurality. of coils through which the oxygen gas is passed said coils being subjected to heating v.mediums having different degrees of temperature, the higher temperature being imparted to the coils nearest the delivery to the explosive engine, and means for'mixing a portion ofthe heated products of combustion from the explosive engine With the heated Oxygen before being fed to the explosive engine.'

v9. The combination of an engine, a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is present, a pipe for supplying oxygen fromthe source to. the engine for operating it, measuring means for regulatingthe supply of oxygen so fed, and means for heating the oxygen to expand the-same before it is delivered to the engine said means comprising a plurality of coils whereby the oxygen .is first heated by the heat of the Water surrounding a portion of the coils and superheated by the heat ofthe exhaust of the engine passing over another portion of the coils.

10. The combination of an gine and an explosive engine, with a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is present, means for supplying the oxygen to the expansion engine in controlled quantities, means for heating the oxygen before'being delivered to the expansiony engine, means for delivering' the expanded oxygen from the expansion engine to the Aexplosive engine, and means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygenl to form an explosive mixture for operating the explosive engine.

11. The combinatio of an expansion engine and an explosive engine, With a source oxygen is present, means for supplying the oxygen to the expansion engine in controlled quantities, .means for heating the oxygen before being delivered to the expansion engine said heat being derived from the Waste heat of the explosive engine, means for delivering the expanded Oxygen from the expansion engine to the explosive engine, and means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen to form an explosive mixture for operating the explosive engine. A

12. The combination of an expansion engine and an explosive engine, with a source gas in which oxygen is present,

means for supplying ithe oxygen to the expansion engine in controlled` quantities,

ing a hydrocarbon to expansion ensubjected to the means for heating the oxygen before being delivered to the expansion engine part of said heat being derived from the Waste gases of the explosive engine and the remaining heat from Water, means :for delivering the expanded oxygen from the expansion engine to the explosive engine, and means for sup-Y plying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen to form an explosive mixture for operating the explosive engine.

13. The combination of an expansion engine and an explosive engine, with a source of liquefied gas inwhich oxygen is present, means for supplying the oxygen to the expansion engine in controlled quantities, means for heating the oxygen before being delivered to the expansion engine, means for delivering the expanded oxygen from the expansion engine to the explosive engine, means for mixing a portion of the Waste gases from the explosive oxygen' received from the expansion engine 'to dilute the explosive mixture utilized in the explosive engine, and means for supplythe oxygen to form an y explosive mixturefor operating the explosive engine. A

14. The combination of an expansion engine and an explosive engine, with a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is presentg,l means for supplying the oxygen to the expansion engine in controlled quantities, means for heating the oxygen beforebeing delivered to the expansion engine, means for delivering the expanded oxygen from the expansion engine to the explosive engine, means for mixing a portion of the waste gases from the ex- 4plosive engine with the oxygen received from the expansion engine to dilute the explosive mixture utilized inthe explosive engine, means for measuring the amount of Waste gases to be thusmixed, a mixing device for thoroughly mixing the waste gases with the expanded oxygen, and means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the oxygen to form an explosive'mixture for operating the explosive engine.

15. YThe combination of a vessel floating in Water provided with means for propelling it, an engine for operating the propelling means, a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is present arranged Within the vessel, means for supplying oxygen from the source to the engine, means Vfor controlling the amount of said supply of oxygen, and means Water in which the vessel floats Jfor heating the oxygen beforey it is delivered to the engine, said means comprising a coil through Whichthe oxygen is caused to pass and a surrounding conduit arranged lengthwise of the vessel through `Which the Water flows .as the vessel is propelled and thereby brought into contact with the 'cil to heat the oxygen therein, and further comprising a secondcoil through which the oxygen passes, a conduit surrounding the second coil, and pumping devices for circulating the Water in which the vessel oats through the conduit of said sec` ond coil.

16. The combination of a vessel oating in Water provided With means for propelling it, an engine for operating the propelling means, a source of liquefied gas in which oxygen is present arranged Within the vessel, means forsupplying oxygen from the source to the engine, means for controlling the amount of said supply of oxygen, a heating device through which the oxygen passes on its Way to the engine, a conduit forming a part of the vessel and inclosing the heating device for the oxygen, and means on the vessel for circulating the water in which the vessel floats through the conduit for transferring the heat yof said Water to the oxygen.

17. The method of operating a submarine vessel Without an appreciable Wake, Which consists in supplying a hydrocarbon vapor and oxygen gas to an internal combustion engine to propel the submarine, and subdividing the waste products from said engine into a multitude of small streams into the surrounding Water so that they' are diffused and mixed with sufficiently large quantities of Water to become substantially absorbed.v

18. The method of operating a submarine vessel Without an appreciable wake, which consists in supplying a hydrocarbon vapor andvoxygen gas to an internal combustion engine to propel the submarine, subdividing the Waste products Jfrom said engine into a multitude of small streams into the surrounding Water so that they are diused and mixed with suliiciently large quantities I of Water to become substantially absorbed,

" intermingling them with the Water.

19. A submarine vessel having means for propelling it, combined with an internal combustion engine, a source of liquelied oxygen'on the vessel, means for supplying an oxygen gas from said source to the engine, means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the engine and exploding it associated with the oxygen gas, means for permitting the escape of the products of combustion from the Vessel, and means through Which the products escape for subdividing them whereby they are dissipated in the surrounding Water. i

20. A submarine vessel having means for propelling it, combinedv With an internal combustion engine, a source of liqueed oxy.

gen on the Vessel, means for supplying an,

oxygen gas from said source to the engine, means for supplying a hydrocarbon to the engine and exploding it associated with the.. oxygen gas, means for permitting the escape of theproducts of combustion from the vessel, and means through which the products escape for subdividing them whereby they are dissipated in the surrounding Water, the said subdividing means arranged adjacenttothe propelling means of the submarine.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

FRANK sHUMA'N.. 

